It’s snowing, and the thermostat on your wall reads 6 degrees Fahrenheit (-14.44° Celsius) outside, but you still want to get your scuba “fix” and learn more to increase your education and advancement.

There is no reason to put your training on hold during the winter months. SDI, TDI and ERDI have several courses that can help you continue with your education without ever having to get in the cold water. Courses like nitrox, CPROX 1st AED and gas blender do not require any underwater skills and are primarily theory-based courses with some practical work for completion. ERDI’s Diver 1 tender and contaminated water all have awareness level ratings that allow the non-diver to learn more about what the team’s training may involve.

SDI’s computer nitrox and TDI’s basic nitrox are two of the most popular courses in continued education. Because they are based on theory regarding gas mixtures, there is really no underwater skill set that can be made a requirement for course completion. The key elements are to know your gas mixture and plan your dive based on maximum operating depth and time. To make things even easier, both of these courses are available online.

CPROX 1st AED is a course that is not specific to diving and one that everyone should take, so you can invite your family, friends or co-workers to take this course as well. Everyone should have exposure at one time or another to some kind of first aid training. CPORX1st AED has training that could be invaluable in case of an emergency at home, in the work place or on the street. The course is Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Oxygen administration combined into one program. Your students will learn how to use what is at their disposal to treat and stabilize victims until medically trained professionals arrive.

There are also wide arrays of courses that focus on gas mixing as well as equipment maintenance. TDI’s Gas and Advanced Gas Blender teach the art of blending gas mixes from basic nitrox to gases used in technical dives that include helium as well and safety around oxygen and different blending methods. O2 Service Technician, Equipment Specialist and VIP (Visual Inspection Procedures) are courses that basically assist people in the maintenance, handling and care of scuba equipment and tanks. These courses are really terrific for those that want to go beyond the diving portion of the sport and understand how things really work.

So just because it is snowing outside, it does not mean you need to put a halt to your scuba training… then again, SDI also has a wonderful ice-diving course that goes well with our dry suit diving course if the place you really want to be… is underwater!

Contact SDI TDI and ERDI

If you would like more information, please contact our World Headquarters or your Regional Office.